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Thursday, February 7, 2013

Q. Can you help me choose my first pair of mics?

Sound Advice : Miking

I’m buying my first
pair of microphones, and my budget is limited. I want the microphones to
perform well in church choir recording situations (for example), but
also to be able to capture sounds in nature, from bird songs to thunder
claps. I’ve heard good things about the Rode NT1A and Blue Bluebird.

The
Blue Bluebird and the Rode NT1A would both be good choices for someone
looking for their first pair of mics, and are so close in specification
that the choice will probably boil down to cosmetics and to personal
preference regarding sound.

Choosing mics is a very personal thing, but comparing specifications is a good start. The www.microphone-data.com
web site provides good facilities for that. Both mics have a fairly
flat response with a mild upwards tilt for a slightly bright sound,
which is often useful in distant miking, such as recording a choir with a
stereo pair. Neither has much of a presence peak, which is good for
your application.

The NT1A is fractionally
quieter than the Bluebird and also has better rear rejection, but the
latter has a slightly narrower cardioid pattern around the frontal axis.
This will give a slightly wider stereo image for a given mutual angle,
but the difference will be subtle. Overall, I don’t think the
polar-pattern differences will give either mic much advantage over the
other. Both have similar sensitivities and maximum SPL‑handling
capabilities, but the Bluebird is far less demanding of phantom-power
supply current and voltage, which makes it easier and more reliable to
use with budget equipment.

The Bluebird is
visually more interesting than the NT1A, and on paper the NT1A has a
small self-noise advantage, but both mics would be equally capable for
your applications. With regard to sturdiness, both are inherently
delicate devices and must be treated with care. I don´t think either has
any advantage over the other in this area.

I’d
caution you about using these microphones out of doors. An effective
windshield is essential, as even a gentle breeze on an exposed mic
capsule will generate lots of LF and sub-sonic noise. Most decent
exterior windshields are designed for pencil mics, and finding something
suitable for the NT1A or Bluebird will be a challenge. However, Rycote
do make a windshield for the SoundField mic, and you may be able to
adapt that.